The Osceola times., 1887-03-05
WASHINGTON LETTER

WAsHISoToN, d. c., Feb. 81, 1887
Az to what Congress is doing jus,
now, ! may say the senate is over.
doing the Naval Appropriation bus.
iness, and the House is trying to get
on with The regular, indispensable
Appropriation bills. The past week
was marked by some important leg
islation, prominent among which was
the passage of the Eads'- '-Tehuante.
pee Ship Railway bill, by the Senate,
and the rigorous Anti Polygamy bill
by both the Senate and House.
You may remember that this meas
ure passed the Senate some time
since but 1t was amended by the
House, and now the Senate has pass
ed it as it came from the House.
Only seven votes were recorded
against the scheme of Capt. Eads for
constructing a ship railway across
the isthmus of Tehuantepec. These
were cast by Senators Edmunds,
Jones of Arkansas Morrill,, Platt,
Vance, VanWyck and Wilson of
Iowa. The bill incorporates Capt.
Eads and some eighty other persons
named, as a body polite under the
name Of the Atlantic and Pacific Ship
Railway Company. The stock is not
to exceed sl00,000,000; and when
ton per cent. OF stock is subscribed
and ten per cent. paid IN cash, meet
ing oil stockholders is to be held in
Washington or New York, for the
election Of directors. Iften millions
Of stock is not subscribed for, and
ten per cent, Of it paid in cash with
in two years, the charter is to expire
by limitation. Consequently the
Government is not committed to the
project pecuniarily, and makes no
guarantees.
The Senate has passed bills appro.
prating about fifty millions for ships
of war, coast defenses and other war
like preparations, Ifthe Senate had
really wanted to do something for
the Navy, it would have passed these
bills early enough to permit of their
consideration by the House of Rep
resentatives. 1t ought not be ex.
pected that the House will pass meas
ures of such magnitude, without an
examination which there is not now
time to give. But, OF course, the
Senate will get the credit OF having
made a brilliant effort towards an in
crease of the naval establishment
and tho House will be condemned
for neglect of its duty in this matter
Every body is wondering whom
the President will appoint on the In
state Commission. Among the scores
of men who have been mentioned fo
a place, Gen. Atkins, the presen
Commissioner of Indian Affairs, i,
one OF the latest. His friends sa,
he is a man who could be, officially
as much Of friend to the railroad
as to the people. Said one of then
He could do justice to both, ant
at the same time has moral force suf
fcient to outride the temptation o
wi"king ut the New York broker
for consideration.
On next Thursday an effort vii
be made In the House of Represent
atives to pass the Psuper Pension
bill over the Presidents veto, ant
the Republicans are expected t,
press the matter to such an extcn
that there will doubtless be prett,
lively fight. The impression is, how
ever, that it will be impossible t'
overrule the veto.
The first Mexican pension under
the recent act granting pensions tc
the survivors of that war, was ISSUED
on last Friday. 1t went to the her,
of Cerro Gordo, ex- Senator Williams
Of Kentucky. If all the Mexican
veterans were able to verify theil
claims to an allowance aud secure i
as readily MS he, short work woulc
be made Of the Mexican pension bus
iness, at least. His application was
filed In the COMMISSIONER Office a.
eleven o'clock one day last week
and the pension certificate was mail
cd in the afternoon of the same day